Influence of education and residence on the parental search for pediatric surgical information on the internet

Table 1 Demographic data of all participants (n = 235), n (%)

Demographic characteristics	All parents (n = 235)
Accompanying parent
Mother	145 (61.7)
Father	90 (38.3)
Age of father, median (range)	40 (27-57)
Age of mother, median (range)	36 (21-52)
Family condition
Married	222 (94.5)
Divorsed/Single	13 (5.6)
Educational level of father
Completed high school or less	148 (63)
Completed college or some college	53 (22.6)
Advanced degree or beyond	34 (14.5)
Educational level of mother
Completed high school or less	118 (50.2)
Completed college or some college	73 (31.1)
Advanced degree or beyond	44 (18.7)
Gross household income in Euro
Less than 10000 €	98 (41.7)
10000 €-25000 €	101 (43)
25000 €-40000 €	31 (13.2)
Greater than 40000 €	5 (2.1)
Residence
Rural	111 (47.2)
Urban	124 (52.8)
Insurance of child
Public (government)	214 (91.1)
Private/no insurance	21 (8.9)
Type of admission
Emergency	114 (48.5)
Elective	121 (51.5)

Table 2 Internet usage and accessibility regarding the residence (n = 202), n (%)

	Rural residence, n = 97	Urban residence, n = 105	Total	P value
Internet access
At home	84 (86.6)	100 (95.2)	184 (91.1)	0.022
At work	23 (23.7)	39 (37.1)	62 (30.7)
Elsewhere	9 (9.3)	2 (1.9)	11 (5.4)
Personal computer at home
Yes	70 (72.2)	97 (92.4)	167 (82.7)	0.0001
No	27 (27.8)	8 (7.6)	35 (17.3)
Frequency of Internet usage
Daily/1-3 times per week	83 (85.6)	99 (94.3)	182 (90.1)	0.038
1-3 times per month/rare	14 (14.4)	6 (5.7)	20 (9.9)
Engaging in social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)
Yes	79 (81.4)	86 (81.9)	165 (81.7)	0.93
No	18 (18.6)	19 (18.1)	37 (18.3)
Are you member of parents groups in social media?
Yes	33 (34)	70 (66.7)	103 (51)	< 0.0001
No	64 (66)	35 (33.3)	99 (49)

Table 3 Internet usage to access medical information regarding the residence of the family (n = 202), n (%)

	Rural residence, n = 97	Urban residence, n = 105	Total	P value
Previous medical information searching on Internet
Yes	65 (67)	91 (86.7)	156 (77.2)	0.0009
No	32 (33)	14 (13.3)	46 (22.8)
Internet usage in 24 h prior to admission
Yes	40 (41.2)	45 (42.9)	85 (42.1)	0.81
No	57 (58.8)	60 (57.1)	117 (57.9)
Which family member searched on Internet mostly?
Mother	68 (70.4)	81 (76.7)	149 (73.8)	0.25
Father	29 (29.6)	24 (23.3)	53 (26.2)
Search engines used
Google	80 (82.5)	93 (88.6)	173 (85.6)	0.0078
Wikipedia	12 (12.4)	25 (23.8)	37 (18.3)
Other	12 (12.4)	3 (2.9)	15 (7.4)
Do you trust the websites in terms of validity?
Yes	53 (54.6)	49 (46.7)	102 (50.5)	0.26
No	44 (45.4)	56 (53.3)	100 (49.5)
Were the health information comprehensive?
Yes	75 (77.3)	71 (67.6)	146 (72.3)	0.12
No	22 (22.7)	34 (32.4)	56 (27.7)
Level of satisfaction with the medical information
High	21 (21.6)	25 (23.8)	46 (22.8)	0.12
Medium	70 (72.2)	56 (53.3)	126 (62.4)
Low	6 (6.2)	24 (22.9)	30 (14.9)

Table 4 Internet usage and examination by a pediatric surgeon regarding the residence of the family (n = 202), n (%)

	Rural residence, n = 97	Urban residence, n = 105	Total	P value
Other medical information resources
Pediatrician/GP1	95 (97.9)	102 (97.1)	197 (97.5)	0.13
Friends and family	27 (27.8)	49 (46.7)	76 (37.6)
Parents groups	9 (9.3)	8 (7.6)	17 (8.4)
Search for a specialist
Yes	49 (50.5)	34 (32.4)	83 (41.1)	0.008
No	48 (49.5)	71 (67.6)	119 (58.9)
Did you inform the specialist about the Internet search?
Yes	17 (17.5)	31 (29.5)	48 (23.8)	0.045
No	80 (82.5)	74 (70.5)	154 (76.2)
Was the information found on the Internet the same as the one given by the doctor?
Yes	63 (64.9)	74 (70.5)	137 (67.8)	0.4
No	34 (35.1)	31 (29.5)	65 (32.2)
Need for an official website, n
Yes	83 (85.6)	102 (97.1)	185 (91.6)	0.003
No	14 (14.4)	3 (2.9)	17 (8.4)

¹GP: General practitioner.

Table 5 Internet usage and accessibility regarding the educational level of the parent (n = 202), n (%)

	Completed high school or less, n = 103	Completed college or some college, n = 63	Advanced degree or beyond, n = 36	Total	P value
Internet access
At home	87 (84.5)	61 (96.8)	36 (100)	184 (91.1)	0.27
At work	27 (26.2)	20 (31.7)	18 (50)	65 (32.2)
Elsewhere	7 (6.8)	4 (6.3)	0	11 (5.4)
Personal computer at home
Yes	73 (70.9)	58 (92.1)	36 (100)	167 (82.7)	< 0.0001
No	30 (29.1)	5 (7.9)	0	35 (17.3)
Frequency of Internet usage
Daily/1-3 times per week	88 (85.4)	61 (96.8)	33 (91.7)	182 (90.1)	0.055
1-3 times per month/rare	15 (14.6)	2 (3.2)	3 (8.3)	20 (9.9)
Engaging in social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)
Yes	84 (81.6)	53 (84.1)	28 (77.8)	165 (81.7)	0.73
No	19 (18.4)	10 (15.9)	8 (22.2)	37 (18.3)
Are you member of parents groups in social media?
Yes	39 (37.9)	45 (71.4)	19 (52.8)	103 (51)	0.0001
No	64 (62.1)	18 (28.6)	17 (47.2)	99 (49)

Table 6 Internet usage to access medical information regarding the educational level of the parent (n = 202), n (%)

	Completed high school or less, n = 103	Completed college or some college, n = 63	Advanced degree or beyond, n = 36	Total	P value
Previous medical information searching on Internet
Yes	66 (64.1)	59 (93.7)	31 (86.1)	156 (77.2)	< 0.0001
No	37 (35.9)	4 (6.3)	5 (13.9)	46 (22.8)
Internet usage in 24 h prior to admission
Yes	44 (42.7)	34 (54)	7 (19.4)	85 (42.1)	0.004
No	59 (57.3)	29 (46)	29 (80.6)	117 (57.9)
Which family member searched on Internet mostly?
Mother	67 (65)	48 (76.8)	23 (63)	138 (68.3)	0.27
Father	36 (35)	15 (23.2)	13 (37)	64 (31.7)
Search engines used
Google	86 (83.5)	53 (84.1)	34 (94.4)	173 (85.6)	0.74
Wikipedia	15 (14.6)	15 (23.8)	7 (19.4)	37 (18.3)
Other	12 (11.7)	7 (19.4)	3 (8.3)	22 (10.9)
Do you trust the websites in terms of validity?
Yes	58 (56.3)	36 (57.1)	8 (22.2)	102 (50.5)	0.0009
No	45 (43.7)	27 (42.9)	28 (77.8)	100 (49.5)
Were the health information comprehensive?
Yes	76 (73.8)	48 (76.2)	22 (61.1)	146 (72.3)	0.24
No	27 (26.2)	15 (23.8)	14 (38.9)	56 (27.7)
Level of satisfaction with the medical information
High	22 (21.4)	18 (28.6)	6 (16.7)	46 (22.8)	0.051
Medium	69 (67)	38 (60.3)	19 (52.8)	126 (62.4)
Low	12 (11.7)	7 (11.1)	11 (30.6)	30 (14.9)

Table 7 Internet usage and examination by a pediatric surgeon regarding the educational level of the parent who searched on the Internet (n = 202), n (%)

	Completed high school or less, n = 103	Completed college or some college, n = 63	Advanced degree or beyond, n = 36	Total	P value
Other medical information resources
Pediatrician/GP	98 (95.1)	63 (100)	36 (100)	197 (97.5)	0.11
Friends and family	45 (43.7)	20 (31.7)	11 (30.6)	76 (37.6)
Parents groups	8 (7.8)	9 (14.3)	0	17 (8.4)
Search for a specialist
Yes	42 (40.8)	31 (49.2)	10 (27.8)	83 (41.1)	0.11
No	61 (59.2)	32 (50.8)	26 (72.2)	119 (58.9)
Did you inform the specialist about the Internet search?
Yes	30 (29.1)	15 (23.8)	3 (8.3)	48 (23.8)	0.041
No	73 (70.9)	48 (76.2)	33 (91.7)	154 (76.2)
Was the information found on the Internet the same as the one given by the doctor?
Yes	57 (55.3)	54 (85.7)	26 (72.2)	137 (67.8)	0.0002
No	46 (44.7)	9 (14.3)	10 (27.8)	65 (32.2)
Need for an official website
Yes	86 (83.5)	63 (100)	36 (100)	185 (91.6)	0.0001
No	17 (16.5)	0	0	17 (8.4)

GP: General practitioner.